Saturday, March 08, 2008

Minister Fatfat on Lebanese Presidency and Israel

Beirut, 08 Mar 08, 14:18Fatfat: Lebanon May Elect President on March 25

Minister of Youths and Sports Ahmed Fatfat said Saturday he is hopeful Lebanon could elect a president on March 25, but failed to back his prediction."There is a possibility to elect a president on the 25th of this month. A miracle could occur that day," Fatfat said in a radio interview.

"Lets wait for what would be issued by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in the next couple of days. If he postpones the forthcoming session to after the 25th it means that I am wrong in my expectation," he added.

"My relations with the cabinet and the premier are more than excellent … as for the relation with the Mustaqbal Movement I do not see myself in the political spectrum outside the Mustaqbal Movement," Fatfat added.

Israel "might be preparing for a major (war) thing"

He expressed concern that Israel "might be preparing for a major (war) thing, and our only option to confront it is by consolidating our domestic front and electing a president."

He criticized the "American style" in declaring the mission of the USS Cole off the Lebanon coast as "useless political stupidity."

Fatfat said Arab foreign ministers have "acknowledged the Lebanese-Syrian problem … this is new."

He said Lebanon should not be represented at the forthcoming summit in Damascus unless it managed to elect a president prior to the March 29 schedule.

"Our absence (at the summit) wouldn't be a wise policy and our participation without a president is risky," Fatfat said.

He said the Arabs "want to help Lebanon because they realize that its collapse means that Iran would have a base in the Mediterranean and because they have no interest in Syria's dominance over Lebanon." (Naharnet)